Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-16
The Pavement Question.

properly owners called to determine tht
ms,erial to be used for the paving ol
Main and Spring streets in Justics
Anstin's courtroom was one.sided
farce. /, in common with others, went
The meeting had already been called to
order. Ex.Mayor Spence was Chairman,
| G. A. Dobinsou, Secretary positions,
which, owing to their extreme bias.
they should have most respectfully
declined), expected that the meeting
had been called with a view of submit.
ting report to the Council after
intelligent deliberation as to which
material would be the best, cheapest
and most lasting, but was soon
convinced that the Iiseetin& was "a cut
and dried affair, and a deusion on the
honest property owner, and in proof
thereof the representatives of the various
bituminous lime rock paving companies
came fully prepared to vots as proxies
hundreds of front feet. in favor of the
| adoption of the interests they repre-.
rented This, and little circumstance
which | refrain mentioning, had their
eject SO much SO that several who were
in favor of granite block pavement
wheeled into line for bituminous rock
asphalt pavement. This is tho admit.
ted fact OF some who voted.
met the very reverend J. Adam,
the representative of Right Rev. Bishop
+. Mora during bis absence, to learn
from him his reasons for favoring bitumi.
nous.rock-asphalt pavement, he said
that the l70 feet voted for Bishop Mora
was done without his knowledge or
consent.
The 'notice given out notified property
owners of a meeting to take place for
them to determine the materials to be
used, but did not state that the property
owners bad to choose between bidders |
for granite blocks at 2S cents per square
foot or bituminous rock asphalt pave
ment at 253 cents per square foot, while |
there was another, a strictly home com. |
pany, offering to put down granite |
olocks according to specifications at "a |
cents per square foot, claiming to be |
backed by iirst.class security. At this |
stage City Attorney DAILY stated that
this meeting had TO determine between
the two first propositions, and if they |
could not decide, that the Council would |
on Monday next. In other words, you
can either take the dose that is offered |
you or go without. This was not the in
depreciation of those who went there in
expectation to get the honest sentiments
and deliberations. wish to remind our
worthy City Attorney, that although a
few men are elected to represent the
people, yet the people have not nor will
not surrender their superiority. / never
heard OF so unjust a law that would
force one to pay for the same thing
sixteen and two.thirds per cent more than
is offered by third party. The merits
introduced in favor OF the btuminous
rock asphalt pavement were: First, il !
was local organized company; that
the laying of it down would be done
by our own labor, but that the bitumi-
nous lime rock had to be quarried from
their quarry in San Luis Ooispo county,
entailiDg quite cost for labor and trans
portation money expended 10 quarry.
ing it in San Luis Obispo does not feed
and clothe the laborer in Los Angeles
county, That it was noiseless, and
like rubber it would spring back to its
original shape; and, lastly its wearing
quality. Particularly to this latter quail.
ity many of the largest property repre-
voted for bituminous rock as
phalt, provided ten years guarantee is
given, which votes under the PROPOSE.
tions at issue will simply be construed
in its favor, and is already so reported
through this mornings paper. The ten
years clause is bat clap.trap, and will
not, in my judgment, be entertained.
The bituminous rock asphalt pavement
may have all the superior merits that
their projectors claim; but as one who
came TO be enlightened, ! must confess
that the arguments in its favor were not
as conclusive as those that were made
0 gainst ii, and that in the most part
without refutation. | have seen the as.
phslt streets of Paris, but | have par
tierAarly noticed that such streets are
not the streets where heavy business is
done.
In New York city, Chicago and San
in all the principal business
streets, granite blocks are mainly used.
The people of these cities | mention
have spent millions of dollars in street
improvements. Their knowledge should
have some weight with the rash judg.
ment exercised by some property own.
ers last evening. The letter from Hon.
Ii. I'll. Markham does not tell you how
many dollars are lost annually by mer-
chants from the damage caused by the
extra amount of dust on goods arising
from asphalt pavement, to say nothing
of extra labor. The granite stone we
have in our own county; the money paid
out for labor and transportation remains
with us. The company is composed of |
our own people, and are willing to bene.
lit MS by doing the work substantially
and lasting for the least money.
This question is of far more importance /
than has been given it. and is entitled to
the most careful judgment and consider.
alton, and that we do not experiment
without the very best of security and
guarantee that the same shall be kept
up in tirst-class order without any addi-
tional expense to property owners for
ten years.
I have no AK to grind and can there
fore express my views impartislly, and
would like to have some one who is as
disinterested give views in opposition,
as am not too old to learn or be con-
vinced. Thanking you for your valua.
BILE space, am respectfully yours,
JOSEPH MEsuER